publications

Earthquake in Lincoln, 1877

Nebraskans have experienced no major earthquakes but have suffered occasional seismic shocks and tremors. The Nebraska State Journal of Lincoln on November 16, 1877, included a Journal staffer’s report of a “toy earthquake” in Lincoln:



“From fifteen to twenty minutes before 12 o’clock, noon, yesterday, as we sat writing at a desk in the JOURNAL counting room, it suddenly occurred to us that the Commercial Block was slightly intoxicated. The desk, the chairs, the walls, the floor commenced to vibrate from east to west, as a frame house will rock before a mighty wind. Looking up to see what was the matter, we discovered considerable of a panic among the occupants of the next room. . . . [A]ll hands in all the rooms had suspended labor, and were apparently prepared for a rush out of the building for safety. ‘Earthquake,’ we said, and an earthquake it was, that extended over perhaps ten seconds, . . .



“To find out if the ‘trouble’ extended to other parts of the city, we started for the street, and met at our threshold a gentleman, who spoke first to know if we had felt the earthquake. We had. He was just from the state block, and said the inmates had rushed out to the pave[ment], under the impression that this solid pile of brick and mortar was coming down. Others corroborated the news a moment later, and the mystery was solved. The shock was almost universally felt in the upper and in many of the lower floors of our brick business houses. All agreed that the vibrations were east and west.



“At the capital, it was noticed by Judges [George B.] Lake and [Daniel] Gantt in the supreme court room and also in the offices of the first floor. At the high school the vibrations were quite severe, and a panic broke out among the children in one of the rooms, which was promptly checked by the teacher, though many of the little girls [were] frightened to tears.” The Journal further reported that the tremors were felt at the university “where the shaking was felt, and a small quantity of plastering came down in the room of Professor Stadtler, the artist, who found it hard to keep his balance in the height of the upheavals. No damage, however, was done; no walls crushed, no buildings at all injured; and it was, so far as Lincoln, is concerned, a toy earthquake.”

Become a Member!

Our members make history happen.

Join Now

Other Publications

The Bachelors’ Protective Union of Kearney

When the Bachelors' Protective Union gave a gala reception for two of its newly married, former members and their brides in March of 1890, the social club for young, ...

U.S. Weather Bureau in 1890s Nebraska

The U.S. Weather Bureau was established by an act of Congress on October 1, 1890. It took over the weather service that had been established in the office of the Chief ...

Canning the Way to Victory

During American participation in World War I the U.S. Food Administration, under the direction of Herbert Hoover, launched a massive campaign to persuade Americans to ...

The Shoemaker’s Ashes

"Edward Kuehl, one of the most peculiar characters that ever lived in Omaha, or anywhere else, was found dead in his bed last night in the back room of his place of ...

Crazy Horse Surrender Ledger Foreward

Red Dog, an Oglala Lakota who lived at the Red Cloud Agency, Nebraska, 1876-77 (Nebraska State Historical Society RG2955.ph).   In the summer of 1876, following the ...

Darryl F. Zanuck

Darryl F. Zanuck Darryl F. Zanuck (1902-1979), a native Nebraskan, produced some of Hollywood's most important and controversial films. He helped found 20th Century Fox ...

The Burlington’s Profitable Pork Special

Nebraska railroads were much concerned with developing an adequate economy in the areas they served. The Burlington, for example, had a long history of caring for the ...

Bungalow Filling Stations

After the giant Standard Oil Company was broken into thirty-four separate companies in 1911, the newly independent Standard Oil of Nebraska dominated the state's market ...

The Bull Fight

This is the perfect time of year for a visit to the old fishin' hole. But a group of fisherfolk from Plainview discovered that this bucolic pastime sometimes has ...

Buffalo Soldiers West

African-American soldiers on the western frontier are the focus of an exhibit at the Nebraska History Museum in Lincoln. Buffalo Soldiers West, on loan from the Colorado ...

Protection for Buffalo

The extermination of the buffalo on the Plains occurred largely between 1870 and 1885. The Nebraska State Journal of Lincoln on February 1, 1874, editorialized in vain ...

Buffalo Hunting

In late October 1877 young Rolf Johnson and three friends left their homes in Phelps County, Nebraska, for a buffalo hunt in northeastern Colorado. The hunt was not very ...
About History Nebraska
History Nebraska was founded in 1878 as the Nebraska State Historical Society by citizens who recognized Nebraska was going through great changes and they sought to record the stories of both indigenous and immigrant peoples. It was designated a state institution and began receiving funds from the legislature in 1883. Legislation in 1994 changed History Nebraska from a state institution to a state agency. The division is headed by Interim Director and CEO Jill Dolberg. They are assisted by an administrative staff responsible for financial and personnel functions, museum store services, security, and facilities maintenance for History Nebraska.
Explore Nebraska
Discover the real places and people of our past at these History Nebraska sites.

Upcoming Events

View our new and upcoming events to see how you can get involved.

Become a Member

The work we do to discover, preserve, and share Nebraska's history wouldn't be possible without the support of History Nebraska members.

Latest Hall of Fame Inductee

The Nebraska Hall of Fame was established in 1961 to officially recognize prominent Nebraskans.

Listen to our Podcast

Listen to the articles and authors published in the Nebraska History Magazine with our new Nebraska History Podcast.

Nebraska Collections

History Nebraska's mission is to collect, preserve, and open our shared history to all Nebraskans.

Our YouTube Video Collection

Get a closer look at Nebraska's history through your own eyes, with our extensive video collections.

Additional Research Resources

History Nebraska Research and Reference Services help connect you to the material we collect and preserve.

Support History Nebraska
Make a cash donation to help us acquire, preserve, and interpret Nebraska’s history. Gifts to History Nebraska help leave a legacy and may help your taxes, too! Support the work of History Nebraska by donating to the History Nebraska Foundation today.

Volunteers are the heroes of History Nebraska. So much history, so little time! Your work helps us share access to Nebraska’s stories at our museums and sites, the reference room, and online.